U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet will be targeted by the left Sunday at a campaign finance party kickoff by those who want Democrats to exercise “true environmental leadership.”
U.S. Michael Bennet talks about his efforts to fashion a bill addressing immigration reform in the country during his appearance in downtown Denver in 2013. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
, also will be targeted by the right as Tim Phillips, president of the, made clear during a meeting Friday with The Denver Post.
Both sides have their work cut out for them.
As Minnesota U.S. Sen. Al Franken , “Michael has a way about him that turns down the temperature. He’s really good at understanding where people come from and where we might find some common ground. These are good skills at any line of work but they are absolutely essential if you want to get anything done in the U.S. Senate.”
Dozens of environmental groups have been invited to attend the Bennet event to underscore the message, “If you’re not a climate change denier, don’t vote like one.” The message is also intended for Gov. John Hickenlooper, who has infuriated some on the left with his support for drilling and .
Among those who will be present is Bob Parker of Coaldale.
“We put many hours and some of our own very limited funding into . His most recent repeated actions (votes ) to , but then to vote to override President Obama’s veto of the pipeline show an utter disregard for his base and for the future of our civilization,” Parker said in an e-mail.
“We will be there to let Sen. Bennet and the entire ‘Democratic Party Power Elite’ know that their direction of appeasement and support of the fossil fuel industry will not get them elected. It doesn’t matter how much money they raise from each other, the fossil fuel Republicans will never vote for them and the progressive base will only go to the movies for their heroes and not to the voting booths. The consensus is ‘If both parties are selling us down the river then why bother to vote?’ We are fighting to change this.”
By the way, one of those “fossil fuel Republicans,” AFP’s Tim Phillips, said Bennet’s vote for Keystone isn’t enough to put him the good graces of conservatives. The senator has voted too often with President Obama, Phillips said.
“There are very few senators who can show independence from this president,” Phillips said.
The event for Bennet will be at 6 p.m. Sunday at Mile High Station, 2027 West Lower Colfax Ave.
